ill  :;: 


COL.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  FLOWERS 
MEMORIAL  COLLECTION 


DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
DURHAM.  N.  C. 


PRESENTED  BY 

W.  W.  FLOWERS 


0 


ROM^N  CATHOLIC  BISHOP 


CHARLESTON, 
* 

TO  HIS  FLOCK  IN  THE  STATES  OiP 

mRTH  AND  SOUTH-CAROUJVA  AND^GEORGIA; 

UNITED  STATES  OF  NORTH-AMERICA*. 


CHARLESTON: 

PRINTED  BY  A.  B.  MILLER; 
No.  120,  Broad-Street 

1821. 


s 


NOTE. 


The  Bun  of  his  holiness  Pope  PIUS  Vllth  for 
separating  the  States  of  North-Carolina  and  South- 
Carolina  and  Georgia /rom  the  Dioi:Ess  of  Balti- 
more, and  for  erecting  for  their  government  a  new 
Episcopal  See,  in  the  City  of  Charleston,  (S.  C.) 
suffragan  to  Baltimore,  and  appointing  the  Right 
Reverend  Doctor  John  England,  Bishop  thereof  was 
published  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Charleston, 
on  Sunday  the  Slst  of  December,  1820. 

The.  certificate  of  Consecration  of  which  the  following 
is  a  correct  translation^  was  also  then  read : 

WE  JOHN  MURPHY  by  the  Grace  op  God  and  op  the 
Apostolic  See,  BISHOP  OF  CORK,  in  Ireland,  certify  to  all 
whom  it  does  or  may  concern,  that  on  the  twenty-first  day  of  Sep- 
tember, to  wit,  on  the  festival  day  of  Saint  Matthew  the  Apos- 
tle, in  the  year  of  OUR  LORD,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twenty;  by  virtue  of  the  annexed  Apostolic  Letters,  having  first 
received  from  him  the  profession  of  Catholic  Faith,  and  the  oath 
of  fealty  to  our  Lord  Pope  PIUS  Vllth  and  the  Holy  Roman 
Church  ;  WE  celebrating  Mass  in  Pontifical  robes,  in  the  Church 
of  Saint  Finbar,  patron  of  our  Diocess,  have  bestowed  the  grace 
of  Consecration,  on  JOHN  ENGLAND,  a  Priest  of  Cork,  chosen 
for  a  new  BISHOP  of  the  Church  of  CHARLESTON;  being 
assisted  therein  by  the  Right  Reverend  and  most  illustrious  Lords 
KiERAN  Marum  Bishop  of  Ossory,  and  Patrick  Kelly  Bishop  of 
Richmond  :  there  being  also  present  the  most  Reverend  and  most 
illustrious  Lord  Patrick  Everard  Archbishop  of  Mitylene  and 
Coadjutor  to  the  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  the  Right  Reverend  and 
most  illustrious  Lords,  William  Coppinger  Bishop  of  Cloyne  and 
Ross,  Charles  Sughrue  Bishop  of  Ardpert  and  Aghadoe,  and 
Charles  Tttohy  Bishop  of  Limerick.     In  testimony  whereof  we 
have  written  these  presents  with  our  hand,  and  affixed  to  them  our 
Episcopal  Seal. 

Given  from  our  residence  in  Cork  the  day  and  year  above. 


JOHN  MURPHY, 

Bishop  of  Cork. 


# 


* 


o 


JOHN, 

^  ?  A  7 

BY  THE  GRACE  OF  GOD,  AND  WITH  THE  APPROBATION  OF  THE  HOLY  SEE; 

^  9  7  A 

BISHOP  OF  CHARLESTON, 

TO  OUR  BELOVED  BRETHREN  OF  THE  DIOCESS  OF  CHARLESTON 


May  the  mercy  of  God  the  Father,  through  his  blessed 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Charity  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
he  always  ivith  you. 


The  change  which  has  taken  place,  in  the  forma- 
tion of  Your  Church,  by  its  separation  from  the  See 
of  Baltimore,  and  its  erection  into  a  Bishoprick,  re- 
quires that  WE  who  have  been  appointed  to  its  gov- 
ernment should  express  our  sentiments  upon  the 
subject. 

Our  forefather  Adam  in  the  day  of  his  innocence, 
walked  through  Eden  in  favour  with  his  Creator ;  the 
earth  yielding  spontaneously  the  means  of  his  com- 
fort here,  and  the  Heavens  opening  to  his  view  scenes 
of  future  happiness.  But  by  irregular  curiosity,  and 
presumptuous  disobedience,  he  forfeited  the  felicity 

P336-27 


4 


which  he  enjoyed,  and  lost  all  right  to  that  bliss  which 
he  expected. 

Upon  his  repentance,  redemption  was  promised, 
but  its  application  was  to  be  made  only  upon  condi- 
tions which  his  ability  could  fulfil,  but  which  his  will 
might  reject.  Thus  although  his  salvation  did  not 
originate  with  man,  yet  without  his  co-operation  it 
could  not  be  accomplished;  and  that  co-operation 
was  the  performance  of  the  conditions  imposed  by 
him,  from  whose  wisdom,  mercy,  and  beneficence 
alone,  redemption  was  to  be  obtained. 

The  nature  of  those  conditions  was  twofold,  belief 
and  practical  obedience ;  by  them  man  was  to  pay 
the  most  perfect  homage  to  the  Deity  *,  and  whilst  in 
their  fulfilment,  he  was  punished  for  his  prevarica- 
tion, by  their  consequences  he  was  to  be  perfected 
in  his  scale  of  being.  Belief  humbled  his  under- 
standing; obedience  checked  his  will.  His  original 
fault  was  the  pride  of  knowledge,  its  immediate  con- 
sequence, obstinacy  of  disposition :  by  requiring  the 
belief  of  truths  beyond  his  comprehension,  and  the 
performance  of  acts  not  always  agreeable  to  his  dis- 
position, as  the  conditions  of  his  redemption,  man 
was  to  be  at  once,  punished  for  his  crime,  healed 
of  his  infirmity,  and  redeemed  from  his  bondage. 
Hence,  true  religion  consists  in  believing  God  when  he 
teaches  us,  and  obeying  him  when  he  commands  us. 

To  discover  what  he  teaches  us,  and  to  learn  his 
commands,  so  that  we  may  be  faithful  in  both  re- 
spects, is  our  duty  ;  and  this  discovery  is  the  result  of 
the  investigation  of  facts,  and  not  of  the  examina- 
tion of  opinions.   The  Lord  has  frequently  spoken  by 


5 


ihe  mouths  of  his  Prophets,  and  finally  by  the  mouth 
of  his  beloved  Son,  who  came  to  fulfil  the  work  of 
our  redemption.  When  the  Lord  spoke,  he  made  his 
revelations  manifest  to  those  with  whom  he  convers- 
ed, and  their  authority  plain  to  those  whom  he  com- 
missioned them  to  teach  ;  and  having  thus  exhibited 
his  authorised  teachers  to  his  people,  he  required  the 
obedience  of  that  people.  Thus  when  he  sent  Moses 
into  Egypt,  he  strengthened  him  with  the  power  of 
miracles,  and  when  upon  Sinai  he  gave  a  law,  he 
thundered  before  the  multitude,  and  called  the  teacher 
up  to  his  presence:  upon  the  authority  of  Moses, 
Aaron  was  consecrated,  and  the  right  of  his  family 
to  the  priestly  office  was  confirmed,  as  well  by  the 
blooming  of  his  rod,  as  by  the  catastrophe  of  Core  and 
his  adherents.  The  regular  succession  was  all  that 
was  thenceforth  necessary  to  learn,  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  in  whom  was  vested  the  authority  to 
teach,  until  he  should  come  who  was  the  desired  of 
nations,  this  other  lawgiver  whom  the  father  was  to 
raise  up  to  fulfil  what  was  but  darkly  foreshewn  in 
the  institutions  of  the  desert.  Hence  when  even  they 
who  held  this  authority  persecuted  the  Redeemer,  he 
stated  the  ground  of  his  submission  to  them  in  the 
fact  that  they  sat  upon  the  chair  of  Moses.  Their  au- 
thority expired  only  with  their  law,  and  when  that  of 
Jesus  Christ  succeeded,  we  find  another  Priesthood 
substituted  for  that  of  Aaron.  ^The  Lord  hathsivom, 
and  It  will  not  repent  hwi,  said  the  Royal  Prophet  to  the 
Messias,  thou  art  a  Priest  for  ever  according  to  the  or- 
der of  Melchisedech :  And  upon  the  night  before  he 

*  Psalm  109.  v  5. 

P33627 


6 


suffered  we  find  him  communicate  this  Priesthood  to 
his  Apostles.  Then  he  no  longer  called  them  ser- 
vants, but  friends.  He  made  known  to  them  the  mys- 
teries of  the  the  kingdom  of  God,  that  they  should 
teach  them  to  the  nations  of  the  earth  ;  for  he  com- 
missioned them  to  go  forth  to  teach  all  nations,  and 
promised  that  he  and  his  holy  spirit  would  abide  with 
them  all  days,  to  the  consummation  of  the  world. 
As  his  heavenly  father  sent  him  so  he  sent  them,  and 
whosoever  should  receive  them  should  receive  him, 
and,  whosoever  should  reject  them  should  reject  him. 

But  as  they,  being  only  twelve  mortals  could  not 
go  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  were  not  to  live  all 
days  to  its  consummation,  it  became  necessary  that 
thcv  should  associate  others  to  them  in  their  com- 
mission,  as  well  to  provide  for  the  millions  then  liv- 
ing as  for  the  generations  that  were  to  succeed  them : 
and  hence,  we  find  that  by  prayer  and  the  imposition 
of  hands,  they  did  qualify  others,  whom  they  associat- 
ed to  their  Apostleship,  and  sent  forth  to  the  work 
whereunto  they  had  been  selected  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
And  thus  do  we  find  in  the  new  law  the  same  princi- 
ple which  governed  the  old ;  the  authority  to  teach, 
and  to  minister  in  the  Church  specially  bestowed 
upon  particular  individuals  by  God's  appointment, 
and  continued  by  regular  succession  to  after  ages  \ 
and  hence  no  person  can  assume  this  authority  to 
himself,  but  he  who  is  called  by  God,  as  was  Aaron. 
And  hence  the  authority  to  preside  and  to  teach  ia 
tlie  Church  of  God  is  not  derived  from  talents,  nor 
from  w^ealth,  nor  from  worldly  power,  nor  from  popu- 
lar choice,  nor  even  from  the  piety  and  virtue  of  the 
individual.but  from  his  having  been  regularly  assumed 


7 


to  the  Apostleship,  and  ordained  therefor  by  some 
successor  of  an  Apostle  who  has  thereby  received 
his  authority  from  Jesus  Christ. 

Amongst  those  Apostles  there  was  one  superior  in 
dignity,  pre-eminent  in  power ; — he  whose  name  the 
Saviour  himself  changed  to  signify  his  office.  *  /  say 
unto  thee  (Simon  son  of  Jona)  thou  art  Peter;  and 
upon  this  ROCK  ( Peter)  I  will  build  my  Churchy  and  the 
gates  of  Hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it  And  to  thee 
will  I  give  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven ;  and  what- 
soever thou  shalt  hind  on  earth  it  shall  be  hound  also  in 
Heaven  :  and  ichatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  it  shall 
be  loosed  also  in  Heaven,  And  on  another,  and  a  me- 
morable occasion,  when  he  addressed  him  in  the  lan- 
guage of  warning  and  affectionate  reproof,  he  estab- 
lished his  duty  of  general  superintendance.  f  Simon, 
Simon,  behold  Satan  hath  desired  to  have  thee  that  he 
might  sift  thee  as  lolieat :  hut  I  have  prayed  for  thee  that 
thy  faith  fail  not.  And  thou  being  once  converted,  confirm 
thy  brethren.  And  again,  when  he  gave  him  charge 
not  only  of  his  lambs,  but  also  of  the  very  sheep  who 
were  to  give  spiritual  nutriment  to  those  lambs. 

Accordingly  we  find  the  Apostle  St.  Peter  filling 
that  place,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  by  the 
Saviour,  when  after  having  been  converted  from  his 
guilt  of  denial  on  the  very  night  of  the  admoni- 
tion ;  he  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  speaks  in  the  name 
of  the  rest  as  their  head  and  their  chief;  when  he 
works  the  first  miracle,  and  brings  the  first  increase 
ofJevvstothe  Church;  when  in  his  solicitude  for 

*  Matthew,  chap.  xvi.  v.  18  &  19. 

t  Luke,  chap.  xxii.  v.  31  Sc.  32.,  '  i 


s 


the  welfare  of  that  Church  he  proposes  to  have  an 
Apostle  appointed  in  .the  place  of  Judas  who  had 
fallen  ;  when  he,  after  the  divine  revelation,  first  re- 
ceives the  Gentiles  into  the  fold ;  and  in  all  things 
appears  to  be  the  rock  upon  which  the  spiritual  edi- 
fice of  Christianity  was  reared.  The  solicitude  of 
the  faithful  too  for  him,  as  their  head,  is  manifested  by 
their  continual  praver  for  his  safety  when  he  was 
kept  bound  by  Herod. 

As  the  Saviour  established  a  Church  which  was  to 
last  to  the  end  of  the  world,  its  government  was  to 
be  co-eval  with  its  existence  :  and  hence  Peter  was  to 
have  a  successor  who  was  to  possess  his  power,  as 
Aaron  had  a  successor  who  was  invested  with  his 
High-priesthood.  The  chief  Apostle  first  made  the 
East  the  great  theatre  of  his  exertions,  and  the  City 
of  Antioch  was  his  principal  residence  during  about 
seven  years ;  but  his  zeal,  and  the  necessities  of  the 
Church,  and  the  providence  of  God  led  him  to  Rome 
then  the  capital  of  the  world,  where  during  twenty- 
five  years  he  exercised  his  supreme  administration 
and  authority,  and  crowned  a  life  of  exertion  by  a 
glorious  martyrdom,  on  the  same  day  that  the  Doc- 
tor of  Nations,  St.  Paul,  who  during  many  years, 
had  shared  his  labours,  yielded  his  soul  to  his  Crea- 
tor. His  successors,  by  occupying  his  place  have 
preserved  his  power,  and  this  is  now  vested  in  Pope 
Pius  Vllth  the  present  Bishop  of  Rome. 

Besides  the  divine  authority  to  which  slight  allu- 
sion has  been  thus  made,  we  have  the  testimonies  of 
the  most  venerable  authors  of  the  earliest  ages  of  the 
Church  to  show  the  fact,  that  all  Christians  looked 
up  to  Rome  as  the  mother  and  mistress  of  all  other 


9 


Churches.  In  that  See  the  apostolic  succession  has 
been  preserved ;  and  to  the  Bishop  of  that  See  it 
appertaitis  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  the  various 
parts  of  the  world,  which  either  have  not  become 
acquainted  with  the  doctrines  of  the  Redeemer;  or 
knowing  his  doctrines  stand  in  need  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  his  sacraments. 

Your  former  prelate,  the  Archbishop  of  Baltimore, 
finding  that  you  were  at  too  great  a  distance  from 
him,  applied  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiflf  to  relieve  your 
wants,  by  giving  you  a  Bishop ;  and  though  our  de- 
serts had  not  qualified  us  for  the  situation,  yet  our 
Holy  Father  has  vouchsafed  to  regard  us  with  a 
favourable  eye,  and  that  the  prayer  of  the  Archbishop 
might  be  granted,  WE  have  been  selected,  appoint- 
ed, consecrated  and  sent  to  govern  your  Church. 
Thus  WE  are  placed  in  the  midst  of  you,  unworthy 
as  WE  are,  yet  vested  with  Apostolic  power,  having 
through  the  Holy  See  received  that  power  from 
JESUS  CHRIST  himself. 

We  may  then  address  you  as  our  dearest  children 
in  Jesus  Christ,  for  we  are  placed  over  you  as  a 
father  to  teach  you  the  doctrines  of  truth,  to  guide 
you  in  the  way  of  salvation,  to  feed  you  with  the 
bread  of  life,  and  to  spend  ourselves  for  your  eternal 
welfare  ;  as  we  must  render  an  account  for  your  souls, 
at  his  great  tribunal,  to  that  father  whose  unworthy 
substitute  we  are,  and  who  has  shed  his  blood  to 
purchase  our  souls  from  damnation.  In  proportion 
as  the  dignity  of  our  order  is  great,  so  is  our  respon- 
sibility awful :  and  with  you  beloved  children,  in  a 
great  measure  it  rests  to  lighten  this  burdea.  We 


shall  endeavour,  with  God's  holy  assistance  to  per- 
form our  duty  with  fidelity  and  zeal;  we  intreat  your 
co-operation.  We  shall  point  out  to  you  the  palh  of 
your  duty,  We  conjure  you  to  walk  therein :  AVe 
will  place  the  sacraments  within  your  reach,  AVe 
beg  of  you  through  the  tender  mercy  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  stretch  forth  your  hands,  and  partake  of 
the  celestial  banquet:  We  shall  incessantly  offer  up 
our  humble  supplications  for  you  at  the  throne  of 
grace  ;  We  particularly  recommend  to  you  assiduity 
in  the  discharge  of  the  great  duty  of  prayer,  and  trust 
that  when  your  aspirations  and  petitions  penetrate 
the  clouds  of  Heaven,  the  name  of  him  who  labours 
for  your  welfare  may  be  found  embalmed  amidst  the 
fragrance  which  will  ascend  to  the  seat  of  the  Most 

m'gh. 

Let  Temperance,  Justice,  Mercy,  Benevolence, 
Charity,  Piety,  Modesty  and  Chastity  be  your  char- 
acteristic virtues;  for  you  are  called  upon  to  serve  a 
God  of  purity  and  perfeclifW).  Do  not  place  confidence 
in  your  youth,  your  strength,  your  health,  nor  your 
riches ;  for  you  are  the  certain  victims  of  Death  ;  you  - 
have  been  sentenced  to  return  to  llie  dust  from  which 
you  have  been  originally  taken,  and  you  know  not 
the  day,  nor  tlie  hour :  wherefore  we  beseech  you 
to  be  always  prepared,  for  the  Son  of  Man  will  come 
at  the  moment  -vhen  he  is  least  expected. 

Your  past  conduct,  and  what  we  have  learned  of 
your  dispositions,  leave  no  doubt  upon  our  mind  of 
your  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  State,  and  of 
your  determination  to  fulfil  your  duty  as  citizens. 
You  need  not  our  exhortation  on  this  head.    But  do 


nol  deem  it  presumption  in  us,  who  have  not  yet 
(he  honor  of  being  an  American  Citizen,  to  have 
adverted  to  the  topic  ;  for  were  it  necessary,  it  would 
have  been  our  solemn  duty  to  call  upon  you  for  the 
preservation  of  the  public  peace,  and  the  maintain- 
tainance  of  those  liberal  institutions  by  whish  you 
are  so  well  protected  :  for  w^e  are  the  minister  of  the 
God  of  Peace,  who  has  placed  the  sword  in  the 
hand  of  the  governors  for  the  good  of  Society.  And 
WE  ouRSELF  havc  for  a  long  time,  admired  the  excel- 
lence of  your  Constitution  ;  and  been  desirous  to 
behold  your  Eagle  grow  in  strength  and  beauty  as 
his  years  increased ;  whether  he  rested  in  majesty 
upon  the  bases  of  the  wisdom,  the  moderation  and 
the  fortitude  of  your  government ;  or  lifting  himself 
on  the  pinions  of  your  prosperity,  and  surrounded  with 
the  halo  of  your  multiplying  Stars,  fixed  his  steady 
eye  upon  that  Sun  of  rational  freedom,  which  culmi- 
nates for  you,  as  it  departs  from  the  nations  of  the 
East. 

We  intreat  of  those  within  our  jurisdiction  who 
may  be  desirous  of  having  spiritual  assistance  to 
make  their  wants  known  to  us,  that  we  may  take 
the  best  steps  which  our  limited  means  will  allow, 
for  having  them  relieved ;  and  as  we  cannot  at  pre- 
sent completely  satisfy  either  their  desires,  or  our 
OM;n  intentions  on  this  head,  we  intreat  their  patience 
and  indulgence  until  we  shall  be  better  able  to  fulfil 
the  dearest  wishes  of  our  heart.  But  we  must  also 
remind  them  that  they  who  preach  the  gospel  should 
live  by  the  gospel,*  and  they  who  serve  the  altar 


*  II  to  the  Corinth,  chap.  ix. 


12 


should  live  by  the  altar.  And  that  it  must  depend  in 
a  great  measure  upon  their  own  exertions,  and  the 
means  placed  at  our  disposal  whether  we  shall  be 
able  to  have  them  served  and  ourself  gratified  : 

t  As  to  the  resty  Brethren^  he  strengthened  in  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might.  Put  ye  on  the 
armour  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand  against 
the  snares  of  the  deviL  Stand  therefore,  having  your 
loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the  breastplate 
of  justice,  and  your  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of 
the  gospel  of  peace :  In  all  things  taking  the  shield 
of  Faith,  wherewith  ye  may  be  able  to  extinguish  all  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  most  wicked  one  :  and  take  unto  you 
the  sword  of  the  spirit,  ivhich  is  the  word  of  God. — 
Place  your  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  in  the  abun- 
dance of  his  merits ;  stand  perfect  in  every  good 
work:  walk  as  children  of  liglit;  let  your  example  so 
shine  before  men  in  all  goodness,  that  they  may  glo- 
rify your  Father  who  is  in  heaven;  so  that  after  this 
transitory  state  of  trial,  the  splendour  of  your  virtues 
may  reflect  back  the  glory  of  Redemption  to  the 
throne  of  your  Saviour. 

Peace  be  unto  you^  Brethren,  and  charity  with  faith 
from  God  the  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen, 

1^   JOHN,  Bishop  of  Charleston. 
Charleston,  Jan,  \st,  1821. 


t  Ephes.  chap.  vi. 


